The House of Savoia (Casa Savoia)

The House of Savoia was the royal family of Italy from March 17, 1861,
when Vittorio Emanuele II, king of Sardinia, was proclaimed "by the
grace of God king of Italy", to June 13 1946, when Umberto II, fourth
king of Italy, left Italy (without formally abdicating) following a referendum
in favor of a Republic. The kings of Italy were Vittorio Emanuele II (died
Jan 9, 1878), his son Umberto I (assassinated Juy 29, 1900), Vittorio Emanuele
III (abdicated May 9, 1946, died December 28, 1947) and Umberto II (died
March 18, 1983).

The counts of Savoia trace their lineage to Umberto Biancamano (Humbert
aux Mains Blanches) in the 10th c., considered by some to be descended
from the house of Saxony. The arms of Savoia Modern (Gules a cross argent)
first appear in 1263 with Pietro II. He was the maternal uncle of Eleanor
of Provence, wife of Henry III of England, and spent some time in England
as earl of Richmond. He assumed the cross in 1241 and brought it back to
Savoia with him when he succeeded his nephew Bonifacio.

In 1416 Amedeo VIII was made duke of Savoia by the Emperor Sigismond
I. His son Ludovico I married Anne de Lusignan in 1433 and through her
the later dukes of Savoia claimed the kingdoms of Cyprus, Jerusalem and
Armenia. In 1713 Vittorio Amedeo II was made king of Sicily by the treaty
of Utrecht, but he later exchanged Sicily for Sardinia and the royal title
was confirmed by the treaty of Cambrai in 1720. In 1815 the treaty of Vienna
granted Genoa to the house of Savoia.

The unification of Italy was made to the benefit of the House of Savoia,
which ruled over Sardinia, Piedmont and Genoa, in 1859-61. In 1860, it
ceded Savoia and Nice to France. In 1866, Venetia was taken from Austria,
and in 1870 the Papal States were annexed.

The House of Savoia straddles Italian and French history; its roots
are in French-speaking Savoie and it moved its capital to Torino in the
late 16th century. Some branches such as Savoie-Nemours and Savoie-Soissons
were at the court of France. Since this page is devoted to Italian heraldry,
the names are systematically given in their Italian form.

Arms of the Casa Savoia

The arms of the House of Savoia changed often over time. Here are a
few of the configurations that were in use. (The blasons of the individual
quarters are listed below).

Under Emanuele Filiberto (1559-80): Quarterly: 1. and 4. per pale
Westphalia and Saxony, enté in base Angria, 2. Chablais, 3. Aosta;
over all an escutcheon of Savoie Modern. Chablais and Aosta were part
of the original possessions of the counts of Savoia and were made into
duchies in the mid-13th c. by the Emperor Frederic II.

Under Vittorio Amedeo (1632): Quarterly: 1, quarterly Jerusalem,
Lusignan, Armenia and Luxemburg; 2. per pale Westphalia and Saxony, enté
in base Angria; 3. per pale Chablais and Aosta; 4. per pale , Genevois
and Montferrat (Monferrato). Over all an escutcheon of Savoia Modern.

In 1713: Quarterly: 1, quarterly Jerusalem, Lusignan, Armenia and
Luxemburg; 2. per pale Westphalia and Saxony, enté in base Angria;
3. per pale Chablais and Aosta; 4. quarterly Piedmont, Montferrat, Genevois
and Saluzzo. Enté in base Nice. Over all an escutcheon of Savoie
ancient and sur le tout du tout an escutcheon of Savoie Modern. A royal
crown indicates that the dukes of Savoia have become kings of Sicily in
1713. In 1720, Sicily was exchanged for Sardinia, and an escutcheon of
Sardinia was added in point of honor.

From 1815: Quarterly: 1, quarterly Jerusalem, Lusignan, Armenia
and Luxemburg; 2. per pale Westphalia and Saxony, enté in base Angria;
3. quarterly Aosta, Genoa, Chablais and Nice; 4. quarterly Piedmont, Montferrat,
Genevois and Saluzzo. Over all an escutcheon of Savoie ancient and sur
le tout du tout an escutcheon of Savoie Modern, in point of honor an escutcheon
of Sardinia. The only change is the inclusion of Genoa in the kingdom
of Sardinia. A smaller version (piccole armi) was: Quarterly: 1. Sardinia;
2. per pale Cyprus (Lusignan) and Jerusalem; 3. Genoa; 4. Piedmont. Over
all an escutcheon of Savoie Ancient and sur le tout du tout an escutcheon
of Savoie Modern, in point of honor an escutcheon of Sardinia.

In 1870, the arms were simplified: the royal house of Italy simply
bore Gules a cross argent.

Supporters: two lions or.
Crest: a lion's head guardant between two wings or. (Supporters and crest
adopted by Emanuele Filiberto (1559-80).
Order of the Santissima Annunziata, founded in 1362 by Amedeo VI of Savoia.
The arms, supporters and crest within a royal pavilion surmounted by a
royal crown and the standard of Savoia (adopted by Carlo Emanuele I, 1580-1630).

After unification the arms of Savoie were considerably simplified, reduced
to Gules a cross argent. The supporters, crown, crest and collar
were kept (1870). The heir apparent was prince of Piedmont and bore a label
azure. Currently the son of the last king Umberto II (1904-83) is Vittorio
Emanuele, duke of Savoia, prince of Naples (born 1937), and his son Emanuele
Filiberto (born 1972) is prince of Piedmont and Venice.

Junior branches

Savoia-Acaia (from Tommaso II, 3d son of count Tommaso I, made lord
of Piemonte in 1235, prince of Carignano and prince of Capua in 1254; his
grandson Filippo became prince of Acaia-Morea in 1301 when he married Isabelle
de Ville-Hardouin; lineage extinct in 1418): Gules on a cross argent
a bend azure. (cf. coins)

Savoia-Vaud (from Ludovico I, 3d son of Tommaso II of Savoia-Piemonte,
extinct in 1359): Or an eagle displayed sable, armed and langued gules,
on its breast a label of the last.

Savoia-Collegno (from Antelmo, natural son of Filippo of Savoia-Acaia)

Savoia-Busca (from Antonio, natural son of Giacomo of Savoia-Acaia):
Gules on a cross moline argent a bendlet sinister sable or Gules
on a cross argent a bend sinister sable

Savoia-Arvillars (from Umberto, natural son of count Aimone, extinct
in 1469): Gules on a cross argent five lions' heads sable.

Savoia-Racconigi (Raconis) (from Ludovico, natural son of Ludovico
of Savoia-Acaia, marshal of Savoia in 1433, lineage legitimized in 1581,
extinct in 1585): Gules on a cross argent five charges (???), after
1581: Gules on a cross argent a bendlet azure.

Savoia-Tende (from Renato (†1525), natural son of the duke Filippo
II; lineage legitimized and made heirs to Savoia in 1562, extinct in 1572):
Gules on a cross argent a bendlet sinister azure

Savoia counts of Geneva: Gules a cross argent within a bordure indented
of the last.

Savoia-Nemours (from Filippo († 1533, son of duke Filippo II, received
the duchy of Nemours from the king of France in 1528, extinct in 1656):
Gules a cross argent within a bordure gobony or and azure.

Savoia-Carignano (from Tommaso Francesco (Thomas-François, †1656),
6th son of duke Carlo Emanuele I; this junior branch succeeded to the throne
of Sardinia in 1831): Quarterly: 1, quarterly Jerusalem, Lusignan, Armenia
and Luxemburg; 2. per pale Westphalia and Saxony, enté; in base Angria;
3. per pale Chablais and Aosta; 4. per pale , Genevois and Monferrato.
Over all an escutcheon per pale gules a cross argent within a bordure indented
of the last and azure a bend couped between three fleurs-de-lys or.

Savoia-Soissons (from Eugenio Maurizio (Eugène-Maurice), 3d
son of Tommaso Francesco de Savoia-Carignano, lineage extinct in 1734):
Quarterly: 1, quarterly Jerusalem, Lusignan, Armenia and Luxemburg;
2. per pale Westphalia and Saxony, enté; in base Angria; 3. per pale
Chablais and Aosta; 4. per pale , Genevois and Monferrato. Over all an
escutcheon gules a cross argent within a bordure indented of the last.